Everything seems to end in tragedy
That is what my belief has always been
Until the feeling of a you and me
Now the dream of it turns me very grim
How to forget this crazy delusion
Of a future I now can’t envision
An odd mind trick, an absurd illusion
The expiration of this collision
I started to believe your lying words
Aimed to get past those great hesitations
Those thousands of worries, my friend’s concerns
Now you see the clues for separation
The cry of sorrow, the need to move on
I shalln’t lose sight of what we came upon
Submitted By: Alyssa Chang (9th Grade)
Description: From belief in love to disillusionment and separation.
Sometimes love can hurt a little too much
Maybe I cared for you more than I thought
Sometimes I miss your gentle, loving touch
And yet I'm waiting for you at our spot
You marooned me at my most helpless then
The pain you caused me made my heart bleed out
I shall never let that happen again
Because I would rather die in a drought
I am still trying to move on from you
Find something else to occupy my mind
You are now so far from my number two
And I am finally no longer blind
I'm finally better and stronger now
And I don't need to hear your worthless vow
Submitted By: Alyssa T Chang (9th Grade)
Description: Love's pain leads to growth; moving on brings strength and clarity.
I should've given up a long time ago
But I guess my heart just can't accept that
Yet all my mind wants to do is say no
Because I have a complicated past
I've been hurt thrice, one of them being you
So I took that pain to become power
And I'm now better than that girl you knew
I don't need affection from a coward
I've grown up more than you could ever see
But I don't need you to approve of me
Because after months, I'm finally free
I no longer care if you disagree
Because your love is something I don't need
I have me, myself, and I to succeed
Submitted By: Alyssa T Chang (9th Grade)
Description: Despite past hurt, newfound strength brings independence and freedom from needing approval or love.
I've been bent, bruised, and broken for too long
I'm always falling for the wrong people
But that has become what's made me so strong
And you could possibly call me evil
I gave my heart away too many times
Let my shield fall when I knew I shouldn't have
I should've learned from all those declines
Because my heart has finally gone bad
Those nights I spent crying aren't wasted
Those bitter feelings are not forgotten
You should know that back then, I would've waited
But today you're just someone foreign
I guess a "thank you" is what I owe you
So thank you for telling me "we're through"
Submitted By: Alyssa T Chang (9th Grade)
Description: Past heartbreaks have toughened one, allowing one to move on without regret or remorse.
I've been living with two different sides
These two varying personalities
But I ask, what if they were to collide?
What if fantasy met reality?
Would I be stuck in the middle again?
Can I run? Where would I even run to?
Would war begin before I count to ten?
Can I please just start over somewhere new?
Rewind the clock and change what would happen
Stop the war before the rebellion starts
Not let the other me be imagined
But leave everything behind at what cost?
I'll live with these two sides in the meantime
And hope my worlds don't decide to decline
Submitted By: Alyssa T Chang (9th Grade)
Description: Living with conflicting sides, yearning for a fresh start and unity without consequence.
I said there's no chance of another one
I said goodbye to real life true love
I was hurt enough times to say "I'm done"
So I was waiting to join those above
But somehow, someway, you still stole my heart
And you made me promises, gave me your word
If you break them like he did, at what cost?
And I don't want my fears to be confirmed
And yet you've proven time and time again
That you're true and you care for me, love me
And you've always asked for my consent
So your love seems to be a guarantee
And I will always love you, for all time
Cause I'm with you till the end of the line
Submitted By: Alyssa T Chang (9th Grade)
Description: Despite past pain, newfound love brings hope and trust, enduring through time.
What happened to me?
My belief that real life love was nonsense
My hatred for love songs and couples
My dislike of physical touch
What happened to me?
Well, I fell in love... again
My first “relationship” wasn’t that extravagant
Or public or anything
But I still dove in head first
Only to come back to the surface broken
I said he wasn’t the only one to cause me pain
And that’s true
But I got over it, all of it
And I sent my belief in love to heaven
Then I wrote you a poem,
A confession, some might say
Then 24 hours later,
I get a text
From you
And it said,
“I’ve been thinking about that poem
You wrote about me the other day,
And it was a very sweet and loving poem
That I appreciated very much,
And I feel like I need to tell you something,
I’ve liked you for a while now,
Once we started talking
And seeing how similar we are to each other,
I always felt you had something inside that yearned to be released
And I’ve been having that same feeling,
Then I was overwhelmed,
By millions of emotions at once
And I believe that if we were to start a relationship,
It would work out, but I wish for us to go slow,
If that’s alright with you”
And I was left speechless, dumbfounded
Because I never thought anyone could like me
Because I was too scared to try for a fourth time
And yet, I agreed
And for the first part of our newfound relationship,
I ran from hope,
So that when you would say goodbye,
It wouldn’t hurt as much
But then you said those three little words
And I felt a pang in my chest,
Something that I normally associated with pain
But this wasn’t that
It was the first glimpse of hope,
The first speck of light to shine in my then dull heart
But I couldn’t say it back,
Because a part of me was still in denial
And I couldn’t entertain false hope,
Then we told our friends about us,
And I saw a smile creep onto your face
Then that hit of “pain” shot through me
So, that night,
I texted you,
Those three little words, finally
Time skip
I showed you another poem,
The one I wrote to him, explaining my past,
And how you make me feel
And how I always feel like a bullet hits me
Whenever we’re together,
I won’t say I didn’t think
You would leave right then and there,
Say it was too much and you couldn’t take it
But you didn’t
And so much more has happened,
Our relationship only growing as time goes on
And you’ve only brought more light
Into my life and into my heart,
You know I have my problems,
But you don’t shy away from them
And you’re always there when I need it most,
Now, when that bullet hits me,
I know it’s hope and love
And call me lovesick, but I don’t know if I can afford to lose it
Now that you mean so much to me,
Because I love you
And you’re everything to me
My Love,
Always and Forever
Submitted By: Anonymous
Description: This poem details the journey from skepticism and the fear of new love into finding hope and healing within a newfound relationship, emphasizing the transformative power of love and discovery through self-worth and acceptance.
I am from an old apartment
Where birds chirp outside every morning
The familiar whistle of friendly neighbors comes to harmonize with the birds
And the concrete rough texture of the building keeps me at bay
I am from the middle-class neighborhood
Where I used to eat lunch on the stairs
Constantly watching the sun rise to its peak in the summer
And where the bugs on the stairs feasted on my fallen food
I am from the red envelopes
from that time of year
where it was the time to give
And from my birthdays of imperfections
where I always shed a tear
I am from San Francisco
Where I lived a part of my life alongside the bustling street
that could not distract me from hearing constant family arguments
I am from my constant journaling
I am from an independent lifestyle
I am from change
As I thought about life
It eventually led to my decline
But soon I found peace within it
It never stopped me
as today I stand even taller
Because of where I am from
Submitted By: Anonymous
Description: This poem reflects on Anonymous’ origins and experiences, rooted in specific locations and memories. Despite facing challenges, including emotional struggles, the speaker ultimately finds peace and embraces change as an integral part of life's journey.
I know it’s been years now
And I know I see you everyday at school
I see you at 2nd period, in the morning when I’m going to my locker
And I won’t say I don’t want to say hi
I want to ask you how you’re doing
And have a regular conversation with you
But I keep replaying scenarios in my head
Like what would you say?
Would we talk like nothing’s happened?
Could we have a normal conversation?
What if someone walks by and asks about me? Or you?
What would I say? What would you say?
Too many questions go unanswered
Too many replays in my head
The what ifs, the could haves, the maybes
It’s too much for me
Every time I want to text you
I force myself to turn off the phone
Cause I can’t risk an outburst
It’s been too long
I should be better now
I should be healed
And I want to say I am
But that’s not how I feel, that’s never been how I feel
I’m supposed to be leaving you behind
But how can I, when you’re always there, to haunt me
There’s too many questions
But I don’t want them answered
Submitted By: Anonymous
Description: This vulnerable and powerful piece is about an ex that Anonymous had whom they thought they would never see again. This poem highlights the duality of moving on and the feeling of an inability to do so due to the emotional baggage and unanswered questions.
I’ve moved on
I know I’m better now
So why is my heart still broken?
Why am I still getting these flashbacks?
You were a great part of my past,
When I was starting to give up,
You came into my life and gave me hope
Why?
Why did you give me something we both know was built on lies?
We’re at the same school now
We’ve probably crossed paths more than once
And I’ll admit it
I was looking for you, for a while
To see how you were doing
To see how you have changed
But not anymore
I took some time for myself
I stopped thinking about the past
About what we used to be
And look where I am now
I’m growing and changing
But it’s for me
Not you, or anyone else
I still do wonder
Have you ever noticed me?
Have you ever looked for me?
For the same reasons I looked for you
Because I’m stronger now, but I’m still rebuilding
I’m still trying to find peace
I’m still learning to breathe
But I’m not trying to forget you anymore
You’re not the only one
Who burned a hole in my heart
There’s been two others
One I’ve gotten over, the other I’m still conflicted
The one I’ve gotten over
I see him everyday and we’re not really friends
I guess I liked him because I thought he was cool and kind
I was kind of wrong
It doesn’t really matter anymore
Half the time, we’re arguing
The other half, we’re tolerating each other
It’s like one of those crushes you think you have, but you actually don’t
Cause you’re too young to know love
Cause you’re too naive to walk away
Then there’s the other one
I’ve been conflicted about him
He’s nice and confident and social
Everything I’m not
He sees the good in situations
When I see the bad in them
I say we’re friends, but my heart doesn’t feel the same
Not like he notices
He knows how I feel, well felt
Because I thought I was over him
Of course, I was wrong
We’ll see how this friendship goes
So, to you
All I have to say is
You’re not the only one
The only reason
That I’ve given up on love
Submitted By: Anonymous
Description: This poem explores the complexities of moving on from past relationships, reflecting on the lingering pain and unanswered questions while embracing personal growth and self-discovery. Anonymous wants to claim autonomy, but that has proven to be a struggle.
There’s a gap, a hole in my heart, an empty space in my mind
What can I do to fill it?
Where’s my closure?
I threw out all those memories
I gave away all the clothes you said looked good on me
I tried to erase the person you turned me into
I did all that work
I wrote all those poems
Did it help?
A little bit
But not enough,
In this year, at this age
We’re supposed to know who we are
What path we’re going to take, what future we want
And honestly, I did know
Until I drove into a barrier
A blockade in my path,
I changed my hair
My clothing style
My voice
I changed me
Then that boundary was moved
And my path was clear
But remnants of that wall
Dug holes in my mind and my heart
I tried to fill those gaps
Stitch back together those cuts
But all that work,
Just left bigger scars
And it's been two years
Since you left
And I’m still healing
Still fixing the broken cracks you left
Now my style is my own
My voice is mine
But I’ve lost my path
And I’m still looking for the right road,
So when people ask nowadays
What are you going to do with your life?
Where is your future going to take you?
Who are you?
I can’t answer their questions,
Not truthfully at least
And I know that so many others my age
Feel the same way
Submitted By: Alyssa T Chang (9th Grade)
Description: This is a great submission showcasing the journey of self-discovery and healing after experiencing loss and change, also grappling with identity and young adults’ life challenges and transitions within it. This piece won 1st place in the YA Novelist Convention 2024 Short Story Contest!